Block lifter



March 1, 1966 w. B. MOODY 3,237,979

BLOCK LIFTER Filed Jan. 21, 1964 INVENTOR.

47m rs.

United States Patent 3,237,979 BLOCK LIFTER Willard Bruce Moody, 1711Hillcrest Drive, Durham, N.C. Filed Jan. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 339,172 1Claim. (Cl. 294-16) This invention relates to a block lifter and moreparticularly to device for lifting cinder blocks or the like.

A primary object of this invention is the provision of a block lifterwhich is sturdy and durable in construction, reliable and efficient inoperation, and relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture,assemble, utilize, and maintain.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a device havingportions which will engage a selected web of a cinder block or the likeand an elongated handle means which facilitates lifting the block withone hand, thereby leaving the other hand of the user free to applymortar or the like to the ends of the block before positioning the same.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a device of thecharacter described having a pair of jaw means with opposed jaw faces,the distance between the jaw faces being adjustable in order toaccommodate blocks of various dimensions.

A still further object of the instant invention is the provision of ablock lifter having jaw means adapted to engage a portion of a cinderblock or the like, with a depth stop block interposed between the jawmeans to limit the depth to which the jaw means may be engaged over theportion of the block whereby an optimum torque relationship may berealized.

Other and further objects reside in the combination of elements,arrangement of parts, and features of construction.

Still other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed outas the description of the invention proceeds and as shown in theaccompanying drawing where- FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a blocklifter in accordance with the instant inventive concept, a cinder blockor the like engaged by the lifter being shown in dotted lines;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the same;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken substantially online 33 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of a modified form of block lifterin accordance with the instant invention.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing in general, and more particularly toFIGURES l to 3, a block litter in accordance with the instant inventiveconcept is designated generally by the reference numeral Ill andcomprises basically a first or stationary jaw means 12 having a firstjaw face 14, a second or adjustable jaw means 16 having a second jawface 18 extending in substantially parallel, opposed, spacedrelationship to the first jaw face 14, and a handle means 20. The handlemeans 20 comprises an elongated member having portions 22 extendingbetween the upper ends of the first and second jaw means, 14, 16,respectively, and maintaining the first and second jaw faces 14, 18,respectively, in a desired spaced relationship as will be pointed out inmore detail hereinafter, and additional elongated portions 24 extendingsubstantially perpendicular to the upper ends of the jaw means 12, 16and adapted to be gripped by a user for carrying a cinder block or thelike shown in dotted lines at 26 as having a plurality of webbedportions 28, one of which is received between the spaced jaw faces 14,18.

Patented Mar. 1, 1966 ice A depth stop block 30 is secured to one of thejaw faces 14, 18 and extends toward the opposed jaw face at apredetermined spaced distance from the lower end of the jaw means 12, 16to provide an optimum torque relationship when the elongated portions 24of the handle means 20 are raised upwardly by a user.

The spacing between the jaw faces 14, 18 may be adjusted in a manner tobe now described. The second jaw means 16 carries a collar 32 slidinglyreceived over the elongated member defining the handle means 20, astrengthening flange 34 supporting the collar 32. Portions of the handlemeans 20 define a plurality of spaced apertures 36 therethrough andportions of the collar define an aperture 38 which may be aligned withone of the apertures 36 when the jaw faces 14, 18 are in their opposed,parallel relationship. A pin means 40 is received through the aperture38 and one of the apertures 36 to secure the second jaw means 16 to thehandle means 20 with a selected spaced relationship between the jawfaces 14, 18. A chain or other flexible means 42 may be secured to thepin means 40 and carried by an eye 44 secured to the strengtheningflange 34 to preclude loss of the pin means 40. I

A plurality of outstanding cleats 46 may be secured to the lower ends ofthe jaw faces 14, 18 to increase the frictional contact with the web 28of the block 26.

The use and operation of the device of the instant invention will now beapparent. The spacing between the jaw faces 14, 18 is adjusted toapproximate the width of the web 28 of the block 26 to be lifted byaligning the aperture 38 with one of the apertures 36 and engaging thepin means 40 through the aligned apertures 36, 38. This maybe doneeither before the jaw means 12, 16 are engaged over the web 28 or afterengagement of the jaw means over the web. The user then grips theextremity of the elongated portion 24 of the handle means 20 with one ofhis hands, raising up on the same to lift :the block 26. His other hand.is then free to place mortar on the opposite ends of the block 26 or toperform any desired function while the block 26 is being carried. Thedepth stop block 30 limits the depth to which the jaw means 12, 16 mayin inserted over the web 28 thereby positioning these elements in theiroptimum relationship with respect to the block 26. Disengagement of thedevice 10 from the block 26 may be readily accomplished by relieving thetorque caused by lifting upwardly on the extremity of the elongatedportion 24 of the handle means 20 and raising the jaw means 12, 16substantially straight upwardly. Also, the pin means 40' may be removedfrom the aligned apertures 36, 38 to further release the engagement ofthe jaw means 12, 16 with the web 28 of the block 26.

A modified form of the device of the instant invention is shown inFIGURE 4 and is designated generally by the reference numeral 50. Thisembodiment includes a stationary first jaw means 52 having a first jawface 54, and adjustable second jaw means 56 having a second jaw face 58and a handle means 60 having portions 62 extending between the upperends of the first and second jaw means 52, 56, respectively, andadditional elongated portions 64 extending substantially perpendicularlyto the upper ends of the jaw means 52, 56 and adapted to be gripped in amanner similar to the portions 24 of the handle means 20 of theembodiment of FIGURES 1 to 3 to lift a block such as the cinder block26. The elongated member defining the handle means 60 of the embodimentof FIGURE 4 is hollow and includes portions defining an elongated slot66 therethrough. A plug 68 is secured in one end of the hollow handlemeans 68 and includes portions defining a threaded bore 70 therethroughreceiving a correspondingly threaded portion 72 of an adjusting member74. The adjusting member 74 has an elongated portion received within thehollow handle means 60, one terminal end of the adjusting member 74being provided with a knurled member 76 to facilitate manual rotation ofthe threaded portion 72 within the threaded bore 70, and the otherterminal end of the adjusting member 74 carrying a transverse pin 78slidingly received in the slot 66 in the handle means 60 and having itsopposite ends secured to a collar fixed to the adjustable jaw means 56by a strengthening flange 82 in a manner similar to the collar 32 of theembodiment of FIGURES 1 to 3. A swivel means 84 of any conventional formis interposed in the elongated portion of the adjusting member 74 toallow rotation of the threaded portion 72 of the same within thethreaded bore 70 of the plug 68 whereby the transverse pin 78 andthereby the adjustable jaw means 56 may be moved to secure the jaw means56 to the handle means 60 with a selected spaced relationship betweenthe jaw faces 54, 58. The swivel means 84 may take the form of a rivetor the like rotatably carrying the opposed ends of two separate portionsof the adjusting member 74 or any other suitable construction. A depthstop block 86 and cleats 88 may be provided for the embodiment of FIGURE4 in a similar manner to the elements 30 and 46 in the embodiment ofFIGURES 1 to 3.

The use and operation of the modified embodiment will be similar to thatdescribed for the embodiment of FIG- URES 1 to 3 and will be apparent tothose with ordinary skill in the art.

It will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved blocklifter which satisfies all of the objectives of the instant invention,and others, including many advantages of great practical utility andcommercial importance.

Since many embodiments may be made of the instant inventive concept, andsince many modifications may be made of the embodiments hereinbeforeshown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is tobe interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

A device for lifting cinder blocks or the like comprising incombination, an elongated hollow tubular handle, a fixed jaw extendingat substantially right angles to said handle at one end thereof, acollar surrounding said handle and linearly movable therealong, amovable jaw extending from said collar in substantial parallelism tosaid fixed jaw, gripping cleats extending from the confronting faces ofsaid fixed and movable jaws at the ends thereof remote from said handle,a stop pin extending from one of said jaws toward the confronting faceof the other, limiting movement of said jaws toward each other, saidtubular handle having aligned opposite longitudinal slots therein, anelongated adjusting rod in said tubular handle, a swivel at anintermediate portion of said adjusting rod, a transverse pin extendingthrough one end portion of said rod on one side of said swivel, saidtransverse pin extending through said longitudinal slots into engagementwith said collar whereby linear movement of said rod is transmitted tosaid collar and hence said movable jaw, external threads on the otherend of said rod on the side of said swivel opposite said pin,corresponding internal threads in the other end of said hollow tubularhandle opposite said fixed jaw engaging the threaded end of said rod,and an adjusting knob exterior of said other end of said handle fixed tosaid other end of said rod, whereby rotation of said knob impartsthrough said threads, linear movement to said adjusting rod and hence tosaid movable jaw, said swivel and said transverse pin precludingrotation of said jaw during rotation of said other end of said rod bysaid adjusting knob.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,092,198 9/ 1937Anderson 29431 2,541,863 2/1951 Deans 294-62 2,967,730 1/1961 Vann 29416X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,160,933 3/1958 France.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner. SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Examiner.

